US20200307838A1 - Apparatus and method for filling a container with fragile fruit - Google Patents
Apparatus and method for filling a container with fragile fruit Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20200307838A1 US20200307838A1 US16/803,607 US202016803607A US2020307838A1 US 20200307838 A1 US20200307838 A1 US 20200307838A1 US 202016803607 A US202016803607 A US 202016803607A US 2020307838 A1 US2020307838 A1 US 2020307838A1
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- United States
- Prior art keywords
- container
- hopper
- fragile fruit
- berries
- fruit
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
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Links
- 235000013399 edible fruits Nutrition 0.000 title claims abstract description 76
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 title claims abstract description 32
- XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N water Substances O XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims abstract description 78
- 239000012530 fluid Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 29
- 235000021028 berry Nutrition 0.000 claims description 144
- 238000001035 drying Methods 0.000 claims description 12
- 238000005303 weighing Methods 0.000 claims description 8
- 238000004891 communication Methods 0.000 claims description 4
- 241000220223 Fragaria Species 0.000 description 18
- 235000021012 strawberries Nutrition 0.000 description 14
- 239000002356 single layer Substances 0.000 description 5
- 235000016623 Fragaria vesca Nutrition 0.000 description 4
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- 238000007689 inspection Methods 0.000 description 4
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- 238000003306 harvesting Methods 0.000 description 3
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- 239000007788 liquid Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 2
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- 238000012856 packing Methods 0.000 description 2
- 229920003023 plastic Polymers 0.000 description 2
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- 239000000654 additive Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000001186 cumulative effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000013461 design Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000007667 floating Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000011010 flushing procedure Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000011012 sanitization Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000007789 sealing Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000012546 transfer Methods 0.000 description 1
Images
Classifications
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
- B65B25/00—Packaging other articles presenting special problems
- B65B25/02—Packaging agricultural or horticultural products
- B65B25/04—Packaging fruit or vegetables
- B65B25/045—Packaging fruit or vegetables by flotation means
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
- B65B1/00—Packaging fluent solid material, e.g. powders, granular or loose fibrous material, loose masses of small articles, in individual containers or receptacles, e.g. bags, sacks, boxes, cartons, cans, or jars
- B65B1/20—Reducing volume of filled material
- B65B1/22—Reducing volume of filled material by vibration
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
- B65B1/00—Packaging fluent solid material, e.g. powders, granular or loose fibrous material, loose masses of small articles, in individual containers or receptacles, e.g. bags, sacks, boxes, cartons, cans, or jars
- B65B1/30—Devices or methods for controlling or determining the quantity or quality or the material fed or filled
- B65B1/32—Devices or methods for controlling or determining the quantity or quality or the material fed or filled by weighing
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
- B65B1/00—Packaging fluent solid material, e.g. powders, granular or loose fibrous material, loose masses of small articles, in individual containers or receptacles, e.g. bags, sacks, boxes, cartons, cans, or jars
- B65B1/30—Devices or methods for controlling or determining the quantity or quality or the material fed or filled
- B65B1/32—Devices or methods for controlling or determining the quantity or quality or the material fed or filled by weighing
- B65B1/34—Adjusting weight by trickle feed
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
- B65B25/00—Packaging other articles presenting special problems
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- B65B25/046—Packaging fruit or vegetables in crates or boxes
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- B65B35/00—Supplying, feeding, arranging or orientating articles to be packaged
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- B65B35/24—Feeding, e.g. conveying, single articles by endless belts or chains
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
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- B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
- B65B37/00—Supplying or feeding fluent-solid, plastic, or liquid material, or loose masses of small articles, to be packaged
- B65B37/04—Supplying or feeding fluent-solid, plastic, or liquid material, or loose masses of small articles, to be packaged by vibratory feeders
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
- B65B39/00—Nozzles, funnels or guides for introducing articles or materials into containers or wrappers
- B65B39/007—Guides or funnels for introducing articles into containers or wrappers
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
- B65B39/00—Nozzles, funnels or guides for introducing articles or materials into containers or wrappers
- B65B39/12—Nozzles, funnels or guides for introducing articles or materials into containers or wrappers movable towards or away from container or wrapper during filling or depositing
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
- B65B43/00—Forming, feeding, opening or setting-up containers or receptacles in association with packaging
- B65B43/42—Feeding or positioning bags, boxes, or cartons in the distended, opened, or set-up state; Feeding preformed rigid containers, e.g. tins, capsules, glass tubes, glasses, to the packaging position; Locating containers or receptacles at the filling position; Supporting containers or receptacles during the filling operation
- B65B43/54—Means for supporting containers or receptacles during the filling operation
- B65B43/59—Means for supporting containers or receptacles during the filling operation vertically movable
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
- B65B5/00—Packaging individual articles in containers or receptacles, e.g. bags, sacks, boxes, cartons, cans, jars
- B65B5/06—Packaging groups of articles, the groups being treated as single articles
- B65B5/068—Packaging groups of articles, the groups being treated as single articles in trays
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
- B65B5/00—Packaging individual articles in containers or receptacles, e.g. bags, sacks, boxes, cartons, cans, jars
- B65B5/10—Filling containers or receptacles progressively or in stages by introducing successive articles, or layers of articles
- B65B5/101—Filling containers or receptacles progressively or in stages by introducing successive articles, or layers of articles by gravity
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- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
- B65B57/00—Automatic control, checking, warning, or safety devices
- B65B57/10—Automatic control, checking, warning, or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of articles or materials to be packaged
- B65B57/14—Automatic control, checking, warning, or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of articles or materials to be packaged and operating to control, or stop, the feed of articles or material to be packaged
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
- B65B57/00—Automatic control, checking, warning, or safety devices
- B65B57/20—Applications of counting devices for controlling the feed of articles
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
- B65B7/00—Closing containers or receptacles after filling
- B65B7/16—Closing semi-rigid or rigid containers or receptacles not deformed by, or not taking-up shape of, contents, e.g. boxes or cartons
- B65B7/26—Closing semi-rigid or rigid containers or receptacles not deformed by, or not taking-up shape of, contents, e.g. boxes or cartons by closing hinged lids
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
- B65B7/00—Closing containers or receptacles after filling
- B65B7/16—Closing semi-rigid or rigid containers or receptacles not deformed by, or not taking-up shape of, contents, e.g. boxes or cartons
- B65B7/28—Closing semi-rigid or rigid containers or receptacles not deformed by, or not taking-up shape of, contents, e.g. boxes or cartons by applying separate preformed closures, e.g. lids, covers
- B65B7/2842—Securing closures on containers
- B65B7/285—Securing closures on containers by deformation of the closure
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
- B65G11/00—Chutes
- B65G11/02—Chutes of straight form
- B65G11/023—Chutes of straight form for articles
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01G—WEIGHING
- G01G15/00—Arrangements for check-weighing of materials dispensed into removable containers
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
- B65G2201/00—Indexing codes relating to handling devices, e.g. conveyors, characterised by the type of product or load being conveyed or handled
- B65G2201/02—Articles
- B65G2201/0202—Agricultural and processed food products
- B65G2201/0211—Fruits and vegetables
Definitions
- This disclosure relates to an apparatus and method for filling a container with fragile fruit. More particularly, this disclosure relates to an apparatus and method for filling a container with fragile fruit using a container submerged in water.
- Strawberries are currently picked and packed manually. Strawberries are fragile in terms of bruising and their shelf life is very short (10 days or so). Labor to harvest the strawberries is getting scarce, not to mention expensive. Large strawberry farms are looking to modern technology to solve this problem, including robotic automation for picking fruit. While there are current techniques to robotically pick strawberries, there does not yet exist technology to package the berries in a suitably gentle manner that also achieves desired speed, weight and cost requirements.
- the present disclosure is designed to solve the problems described above.
- the present disclosure generally relates to an apparatus and method for filling a container with fragile fruit involving submerging the container in water to better distribute the fragile fruit within the container.
- the container may be filled with fragile fruit either before or after being submerged in water.
- the fragile fruit may be transported using a stream of water or other suitable fluid medium.
- a “wet fill” apparatus comprises a dip tank affixed to a frame and configured to hold a fluid, a moveable platform mounted above the dip tank for receiving a container, a transport chute positioned near the frame and configured to accommodate a stream of water to transport the fragile fruit to a hopper, the hopper operably connected to a load cell for measuring the weight of the fragile fruit in the hopper, means for transporting the fragile fruit from the hopper to the container, a raising and lowering apparatus affixed to the frame and configured to raise and lower the platform from a raised position in which the container is not submerged in the fluid to a lowered position in which the container is partially or fully submerged in the fluid, and a dryer located downstream of the dip tank and configured to dry the container and the fragile fruit.
- a method of wet filling a container with fragile fruit comprises the steps of transporting the fragile fruit to a hopper; weighing the fragile fruit in the hopper; positioning a container above a dip tank containing a fluid; partially or fully submerging the container in a fluid; filling the submerged container with fragile fruit; raising the container out of the dip tank to capture the fragile fruit in a desired orientation; and drying the fragile fruit.
- a “dry fill” apparatus comprises a dip tank affixed to a frame and configured to hold a fluid, a berry conveyor located near the dip tank for transporting the fragile fruit to a hopper operably connected to a load cell for measuring the weight of the fragile fruit in the hopper, means for transporting the fragile fruit from the hopper to the container to create a filled container, a raising and lowering apparatus affixed to the frame and configured to raise and lower the filled container from a raised position in which the filled container is not submerged in the fluid to a lowered position in which the filled container is partially or fully submerged in the fluid, and a dryer located downstream of the dip tank and configured to remove fluid from the container and the fragile fruit.
- a method of dry filling a container with fragile fruit comprises the steps of transporting the fragile fruit to a hopper; weighing the fragile fruit in the hopper; transferring the fragile fruit from the hopper to an empty container to create filled container; partially or fully submerging the filled container in fluid; lifting the container vertically upward to capture the fragile fruit in a desired orientation; and drying the fragile fruit.
- FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus for wet filling a container with articles such as fragile fruit.
- FIG. 2 is a side view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 .
- FIG. 3 is a top view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 .
- FIG. 4 is an end view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 .
- FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an alternative apparatus for wet filling a container with articles such as fragile fruit.
- FIG. 6 is a schematic illustration of a method of wet filling a container with articles such as fragile fruit using the apparatus of FIG. 1 .
- FIG. 7 is a side view of an apparatus for dry filling a container with articles such as fragile fruit.
- FIG. 8 is a top view of the apparatus of FIG. 7 .
- FIG. 9 is a schematic illustration of a method of dry filling a container with articles such as fragile fruit using the apparatus of FIG. 7 .
- FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a container.
- This disclosure relates to an apparatus and method of filling a container or package with articles such as fragile fruit, an example of which is strawberries.
- articles such as fragile fruit, an example of which is strawberries.
- the articles will be termed “fruit”, “berries” or “strawberries”, although it should be understood that the methods may apply to other types of articles.
- berries as used herein should not be considered limiting and may include strawberries, fragile fruit or any articles.
- water should not be considered limiting and may include untreated water, treated water, or any suitable fluid, preferably a fluid in which the fragile fruit is buoyant.
- the water may be sanitized, treated and/or contain additives to mitigate any damage to the fruit.
- FIGS. 1-4 are various views of an apparatus 10 for filling a container 12 with articles 14 such as fragile fruit.
- the apparatus 10 comprises a frame 30 , a berry transport chute 16 , a berry hopper 18 , a feed chute 20 , a raising and lowering apparatus 22 , a dip tank 24 , a dryer 26 and a lid closing station 28 .
- the frame 30 may be any suitable configuration and is designed to support or otherwise maintain the positioning of the various other components of the apparatus 10 .
- the frame 30 may be affixed to a floor or to another apparatus such as a harvesting machine.
- the berry transport chute 16 may be mounted to the frame 30 .
- the chute 16 may comprise a conveyor belt. Alternatively, or in addition to a conveyor belt, the chute 16 may be configured to accommodate a stream of water and thus may communicate with a water source.
- the chute 16 may be mounted to the frame 30 at a downward angle. The lower end of the berry transport chute 16 may communicate with the berry hopper 18 which receives the berries 14 .
- FIG. 2 is a side view of the wet fill apparatus 10 . Viewed from this side, the containers 12 move from left to right in the direction of arrow (A) using a container guide 50 .
- the guide 50 may be any suitable mechanism such as a conveyor.
- the berry hopper 18 may be mounted to the frame 30 upstream of the dip tank 24 .
- the berry hopper 18 may be positioned so that berries 14 coming off the berry chute 16 drop gently into the hopper 18 and are weighed by a load cell. Sensors may be used to track the number and size of berries 14 in the hopper 18 . For example, when the hopper 18 is about 90% full by target weight, a berry selection system (not shown) may be used to add only small berries 14 to the hopper 18 until the desired weight is achieved.
- the feed chute 20 is configured to receive berries 14 from the hopper 18 and transport them into the container 12 , preferably while the container 12 is fully or partially submerged.
- the feed chute 20 is mounted to the frame 30 and may rotate about an axis (B) (shown in FIG. 4 ) so that the feed chute 20 remains in communication with (always feeds into) the container 12 . This rotation will cause the feed chute 20 to be oriented at a steeper angle than that shown in the figure.
- the feed chute 20 may accommodate water to help transport the berries 14 .
- the apparatus 10 lacks a berry hopper 18 and the berries 14 are transferred directly from the berry transport chute 16 to the feed chute 20 .
- the berries 14 may be weighed while in the feed chute 20 and before being dumped into a submerged container 12 .
- the feed chute 20 may be partially filled with water and the weight of the water zeroed out to provide an accurate weight of the berries 14 .
- the apparatus 10 may automatically prevent additional berries 14 from entering the feed chute 20 .
- the feed chute 20 may be automatically re-filled with water before receiving the next batch of strawberries 14 from the berry transport chute 16 .
- the lowering and raising apparatus 22 is mounted to the frame 30 and functions to lower and raise the container 12 into and out of the dip tank 24 .
- the raising and lower apparatus 22 includes a platform 36 on which the container 12 rests, and a lid retaining guide 38 for holding the container lid 34 in the open position.
- the raising and lower apparatus 22 may also include one or more pneumatic cylinders 40 or other lowering and raising means.
- the lowering and raising apparatus 22 may be operably connected to a switch (not shown) that closes the doors of the hopper 18 , preventing berries from being fed into the feed chute 20 .
- the lowering and raising apparatus 22 may be configured to slightly tilt the container 12 back and forth as it is lifted out of the water to enhance water drainage.
- the dip tank 24 is mounted to the frame 30 and holds water or other fluid.
- the fluid causes the berries 14 to float, which helps distribute them evenly in the container 12 .
- the fluid also provides a cushion to protect the berries 14 as they enter the container 12 and redistribute within the container 12 .
- a vibrating mechanism may be operably mounted to the dip tank 24 so that the dip tank 24 and/or the berry filled container 12 can be vibrated or oscillated to enhance distribution of the berries within the container 12 and help drain water from the berry filled container 12 .
- a constraining structure 84 (“constrainer”) can be located in or above the dip tank 24 to initially constrain the floating berries 14 before or while they are fed into the fully or partially submerged container 12 .
- This constrainer 84 may be approximately the same size—in terms of width and length—as the footprint of the container 12 .
- the dryer 26 is mounted to the frame 30 downstream of the dip tank 24 to help dry the berries 14 .
- the dryer 26 may be configured to accommodate a low pressure, high volume air stream.
- the drying air may be chilled, warm or ambient.
- the lid closing station 50 is mounted to the frame 30 downstream of the dryer 26 , and is configured to position the container lid 34 onto the container tray 32 to close the container 12 prior to shipping.
- FIG. 6 is a schematic illustration of a method 100 of “wet filling” a container 12 with articles such as fragile fruit 14 using the apparatus 10 of FIGS. 1-4 .
- the method may generally be described as comprising one or more of the following steps:
- Step 102 Providing a container 12 defining small openings 48 .
- Step 104 Transporting berries to a berry hopper 18 .
- Step 106 Weighing the berries 14 using a load cell or other means.
- Step 108 Dropping or otherwise transferring the berries 14 into a feed chute 20 .
- Step 110 Positioning a container 12 above a dip tank 24 .
- Step 112 Submerging the container 12 in fluid.
- Step 114 Filling the submerged container 12 with berries 14 .
- Step 116 Vibrating or otherwise shaking the container 12 .
- Step 118 Lifting or raising the container 12 vertically upward to capture the berries 14 in a desired orientation.
- Step 120 Drying the berries 14 , and closing the container 12 .
- the method 100 may comprise the following steps:
- the container 12 may be a conventional container known in the art, such as a transparent plastic clamshell container. As shown in FIG. 10 , an exemplary container 12 is provided comprising a tray 32 and a lid 34 . Preferably the lid 34 is attached to the tray 32 via a hinge.
- the tray 32 may comprise a bottom 42 and sides 44 extending upwardly from the bottom 42 and terminating at a rim 46 .
- the container 12 defines air vent holes or other openings 48 through which water may enter into and drain out of the container 12 . It should be understood that the container 12 of FIG. 10 is just an example and that other containers can be used with the apparatus and method described herein.
- the container 12 may comprise a tray 32 and a separate lid or overcap that forms a snap fit with the tray 12 .
- the container comprises a tray having a top rim that defines an opening that can be closed with a film or membrane.
- the berries or other fragile fruit 14 are harvested, either in the field or in a controlled indoor environment.
- the berries 14 then are transported to the filling apparatus 10 where they are placed in a berry transport chute 16 .
- the berries 14 are then transported, via water transport, conveyor belt, air or any suitable means, to the berry hopper 18 .
- the fruit 14 may be transported through the chute 16 and into the hopper 18 using flowing water or another liquid medium.
- the water can flow into the hopper 18 in a continuous stream while the berries 14 are introduced into the stream of water in the chute 16 .
- the water can also flow through the chute 16 and into the hopper 18 in a “pulsing” or “flushing” manner, for example, by using water jets located along the chute 16 .
- slowly rolling cylinders (not shown) may be used, with or without water, to transport the berries 14 . The rolling cylinders may also help separate the berries 14 .
- the berries 14 may be placed into the chute 16 in such a manner that several groups of berries enter the hopper 18 at different times or so that the entire desired amount of berries enters the hopper 18 all at once. Alternatively, the berries 14 can be transferred individually into the hopper 18 .
- the berries 14 can be sorted according to size using various soring means known in the art, such as pairs of belts or rods defining a gradually widening gap. The sorting may be done before the berries 14 are placed in the chute 16 or at any suitable time.
- the berries 14 are weighed, preferably using a load cell or a weigh scale positioned under the hopper 18 .
- the weighing process may be continuous until a target weight is reached. Once a target weight is achieved, the apparatus may stop any more berries 14 from entering the hopper 18 .
- the bottom of the hopper 18 may comprise doors (not readily shown in the figure) that open so that the target weight of berries 14 is dropped onto the water filled feed chute 20 .
- the berries 14 may be transferred from the berry hopper 18 to the feed chute 20 by or by tilting or overturning the berry hopper 18 .
- the berries 14 may be transferred into the feed chute 20 in either pre-weighed groups or individually. If the strawberries 14 are introduced into the hopper 18 individually, each berry 14 can then be weighed and/or measured individually, then dropped into the water filled feed chute 20 and, ultimately, into the submerged container 12 . During this “individual” feeding process, a cumulative weight of the strawberries 14 can be calculated to achieve a predetermined total weight of the strawberries 14 in each container 12 . When that total weight is achieved, the feeding process to the feed chute 20 is stopped or terminated. In this way, damage to the berries 14 due to excess weight in the container 12 can be eliminated.
- the hopper 18 is first partially filled with water.
- the apparatus 10 further comprises a refillable water reservoir (not shown), preferably located above the hopper 18 and configured so that the water in the reservoir can be poured or otherwise transferred to the hopper 18 .
- the hopper 18 is operably connected to a load cell that can measure the weight of the hopper and its contents. After the water from the reservoir is poured or otherwise transferred to the hopper 18 , the hopper 18 is weighed to determine the weight of the water-filled hopper 18 .
- the berries 14 then are added to the hopper 18 as the hopper 18 , together with its contents, is weighed in real time to obtain a real time weight.
- the hopper 18 contains a predetermined weight of berries 14 (calculated by subtracting the weight of the water-filled hopper 18 from the real time weight)
- the transfer of berries 14 into the hopper 18 is stopped.
- the hopper 18 opens so the berries 14 are carried down the chute 20 and into a container 12 .
- Multiple containers 12 may be stacked or otherwise stored so that they can be individually fed to the apparatus 10 .
- This storing and feeding of containers 12 may involve conventional technology such as a de-nester.
- a container 12 After a container 12 is fed to the apparatus 10 , the container 12 is positioned above the water in the dip tank 24 using any suitable means. For example, a single container 12 can be guided into position above the dip tank 24 manually or by a suitable guiding apparatus (not shown). In FIGS. 1 and 2 , arrow (A) indicates a preferred directed that each container 12 takes as it travels through the apparatus 10 .
- the container 12 upon entering the area above the dip tank 24 , the container 12 rests on a platform 36 and is held in a first, raised, position above the dip tank 24 by a lowering and raising apparatus 22 . While in this raised position and during the lowering and raising of the container 12 into and out of the water, the container tray 32 may rest on the platform 36 and the container lid 34 may be held in a vertical (open) position by a lid retaining guide 38 .
- the lowering and raising apparatus 22 may activate a switch (not shown) that holds the doors of the berry hopper 18 closed, thereby preventing berries 14 from being fed into the feed chute 20 and then into the empty container 12 .
- the empty container 12 is then lowered into the water in the dip tank 24 .
- the empty container 12 may be lowered into the water using a set of pneumatic cylinders 40 or other lowering and raising means 38 .
- the container 12 and, more specifically, the container tray 32 may be partially or fully submerged in the water.
- the container 12 can be lowered into the water so that the container tray 32 is submerged halfway, that is, the tray sidewalls 44 are submerged halfway, thereby covering some or all of the berries 14 as they are fed into the submerged container 12 in the filling step.
- the tray sidewalls 44 and thus the entire tray 32 , may be fully submerged under the water prior to filling.
- the feed chute 20 may rotate about an axis (B) so that the feed chute 20 remains in communication with (always feeds into) the container 12 . This rotation will cause the feed chute 20 to be oriented at a steeper angle than that shown in the figure when berries are being fed into the container 12 during the filling step. If desired, some berries 14 can be fed into the container 12 prior to it being submerged.
- the submerged container 12 is filled with berries 14 .
- the berries 14 are dropped or dumped from the berry hopper 18 into the feed chute 20 (which may contain water).
- the feed chute 20 which may contain water.
- the berries 14 may evenly redistribute within the container 12 . This even distribution is accomplished as the berries 14 float within the water, then re-settle into the container 12 when the container 12 is raised above the water.
- the water also provides a cushion to protect the berries as they redistribute within the container 12 .
- the container 12 and/or the dip tank 20 can be vibrated, shook, oscillated or otherwise moved to settle or otherwise enhance distribution of the berries 14 in the container 12 , either while or after it is submerged.
- the movement of the container 12 causes the berries 14 to temporarily float or be suspended in the water above the container 12 while being distributed evenly throughout the container 12 .
- vibrating the container 12 can more evenly pack the berries 14 and/or reduce gaps or voids. If desired, vibrating the filled container 12 can ensure that the berries 14 are evenly distributed as a single layer or double layer. A single layer container would allow the consumer to easily view all the berries 14 prior to purchase.
- the filled container 12 can be re-submerged one or more times to further enhance distribution of the berries 14 .
- the filled container 12 can be moved gently and slightly up and down in the water to enhance distribution of the berries 14 .
- the filled container 12 is then raised out of the water (lifted vertically upward) using the pneumatic cylinders 40 or other lowering and raising means 38 .
- the berries 14 are captured in the desired orientation. Again, if desired, this step can be done using a container 12 in which the berries 14 are generally distributed in a single layer.
- the berries Upon being lifted out of the dip tank 24 , the water inside the container 12 will begin to drain out through vent holes, slots or other openings 48 in the container 12 .
- the berries can be “dried” using other means, such as by low pressure, high volume air emanating from a dryer 26 .
- the drying air may be chilled, warm or ambient.
- the container 12 is closed to secure the berries 14 inside the container 12 .
- the container lid 34 is positioned (rotated) onto the container tray 32 to close the container 12 prior to shipping.
- the lid 36 forms a snap fit with the tray 32 .
- Additional optional steps include the following:
- the berries 14 can be transferred from the feed chute 20 to a constrained area above the partially or completely submerged container 12 .
- the berries 14 can be introduced into the constrained area above the submerged container 12 via water transport, conveyor or air, or dropped vertically into the constrained area filled with water.
- the berries 14 will generally float horizontally (on their side) in the water above the container 12 .
- This constrained area may be approximately the same size as the footprint of the container 12 .
- a constrainer 84 may initially be positioned above the empty container 12 as shown in FIG. 5 and operably connected to the raising and lowering apparatus 22 .
- the constrainer 84 descends until it is on top of the empty container 12 , then both are lowered into the water in the dip tank 24 .
- the berries 14 are transferred into the constrainer 84 through a hole or other opening in the top of the constrainer 84 .
- the berries may float within the constrainer 84 .
- the berries 14 are gently dropped or lowered into the container 12 , either through an opening in the bottom of the constrainer 84 or by tilting or overturning the constrainer 84 so that the berries 14 float gently down into the container 12 .
- FIGS. 7 and 8 are diagrammatic views of an apparatus 60 for filling a container with articles such as fragile fruit before the container is submerged.
- the apparatus 60 may comprise a frame 90 , an inspection and sorting station 62 , a size diverter 64 , a container de-nester 66 , a berry conveyor 68 , a berry hopper 70 , a container conveyor 72 , a dip tank 74 , a raising and lowering apparatus 76 , a dryer 78 , a lid closing station 80 , and a packaging station 82 .
- the frame 90 may be any suitable configuration and is designed to support or otherwise maintain the positioning of the various other components of the apparatus 60 .
- the frame 90 may be affixed to a floor or to another apparatus such as a harvesting machine.
- the inspection and sorting station 62 may be affixed to the frame 90 and is configured to enable the inspection and sorting of the berries 14 .
- the size diverter 64 may be affixed to the frame 90 and is configured to sort berries 14 according to size.
- the size diverter may be conventional in design and may comprise pairs of belts or rods defining a gradually widening gap.
- the container de-nester 66 may hold multiple containers 12 in a stacked arrangement and is configured to select single containers 12 and place them on the container conveyor 72 .
- the container de-nester 66 may be located above the container conveyor belt 72 or in any suitable orientation with respect to the conveyor belt 72 . After each container 12 is placed onto the belt 72 , the opened container 12 advances to a position preferably beneath the berry fill station 70 .
- the conveyor 72 and all mechanisms described herein, may be controlled by a programmable logic controller (PLC).
- PLC programmable logic controller
- the berry conveyor 68 should be located near the dip tank 74 and is used to transport the fragile fruit 14 to the hopper 70 .
- the berry conveyor 68 is a cleated berry conveyor belt 68
- the berry hopper 70 may be mounted to the frame 90 upstream of the dip tank 74 .
- the hopper 70 may be positioned so that berries 14 coming off the berry conveyor 68 drop gently into the hopper 70 , are weighed by a load cell and then dropped into an open container 12 .
- Sensors may be used to track the number and size of berries 14 in each container 12 . For example, when a container 12 is about 90 % full by weight, a berry selection system (not shown) may be used to add only small berries to the container 12 until the desired weight is achieved.
- the dip tank 74 is mounted to the frame 90 and holds water or other fluid.
- the water causes the berries 14 to float which helps distribute them evenly in the container 12 .
- the water also provides a cushion to protect the berries 14 as they enter the container 12 and redistribute within the container 12 .
- the lowering and raising apparatus 76 is mounted to the frame 90 and functions to lower and raise the container 12 into and out of the dip tank 74 .
- the raising and lower apparatus 76 may include a platform 84 on which the container 12 rests, and a lid retaining guide (not shown) for holding the container lid 34 in the open position.
- the raising and lower apparatus 76 may also include one or more pneumatic cylinders 40 or other lowering and raising means.
- a vibrating mechanism (not shown) may be operably mounted to the dip tank 74 so that the dip tank 74 can be vibrated or oscillated to enhance distribution of the berries 14 within the container 12 .
- the dryer 78 is mounted to the frame 90 downstream of the dip tank 74 to help dry the berries 14 .
- the dryer 78 may be configured to accommodate a low pressure, high volume air stream.
- the drying air may be chilled, warm or ambient.
- the lid closing station 80 preferably is mounted to the frame 90 downstream of the dryer 78 , and is configured to position the container lid 34 onto the container tray 32 to close the container 12 prior to shipping.
- the filled containers 12 may be packed into a larger shipping container.
- FIG. 9 is a schematic illustration of a method 200 of filling a container 12 with articles such as fragile fruit 12 using the apparatus 60 of FIGS. 7 and 8 .
- the method 200 may generally be described as comprising one or more of the following steps:
- Step 202 Providing a container 12 defining small openings 48 .
- Step 204 Inspecting and sorting the berries 14 .
- Step 206 De-nesting a container 12 .
- Step 208 Dry filling the container 12 with berries 14 .
- Step 210 Submerging the filled container 12 in water.
- Step 212 Vibrating or shaking the container 12 .
- Step 214 Raising the container 12 from the water.
- Step 216 Drying the berries 14 .
- Step 218 Closing the container lid 34 .
- the method 200 may comprise the following steps:
- a container 12 comprising a tray 32 and a lid 34 .
- the lid 34 is attached to the tray 32 via a hinge.
- the tray 32 may comprise a bottom 42 and sides 44 extending upwardly from the bottom 42 and terminating at a rim 46 .
- the container 12 defines openings 48 through which water may enter into and drain out of the container 12 .
- a clamshell container is preferred, any suitable container may be provided, including a container comprising a tray closed with a film membrane.
- the berries 14 can be inspected and sorted at an inspection and sorting station 62 . During this step the berries 14 can be sorted (segregated) according to size using a size diverter 24 or other apparatus. Once sorted, the berries 14 are transported to the fill station 70 by, for example, a cleated berry conveyor belt 68 .
- Multiple containers 12 may be stored in a chute located above or in any suitable orientation with respect to a container conveyor belt 72 . If the containers 12 are stacked, the containers 12 can be individually pulled from the stack by a de-nester 66 and placed on the conveyor 72 . After each container 12 is placed onto the conveyor 72 , the opened container 12 advances to a position preferably beneath the fill station 70 .
- the fragile fruit 14 is transported to the hopper 70 by the conveyor 68 or other means.
- the fragile fruit 14 in the hopper 70 is weighed by a load cell or other means. When a target weight is achieved, the fragile fruit 14 is dropped or otherwise transferred to an empty container 12 , preferably one that is located under the hopper 70 . Alternatively, the fragile fruit 14 may be transported into the container 12 and then the filled container 12 is weighed.
- the filled container then proceeds in the direction of arrow (A) in FIG. 7 to a dip tank station.
- the filled container 12 is partially or completely submerged in water or other liquid medium. While the filled container 12 is partially or fully submerged, the berries 14 can be redistributed and/or reoriented. This is accomplished as the berries 14 float within or on the water. The water also provides a cushion to protect the berries as they redistribute within the container 12 .
- the container 12 filled with berries 14 is temporarily suspended above the water in the dip tank 74 as shown in FIG. 6 , then lowered or pushed into the water using a set of pneumatic cylinders or other lowering and raising means 76 .
- the container 12 may be partially submerged or fully submerged in the water.
- the container 12 can be lowered into the water so that the container 12 is submerged halfway as determined by the sidewalls of the container 12 .
- the container 12 and/or the dip tank 74 can be vibrated, shook, oscillated or otherwise moved to settle or otherwise enhance distribution of the berries 14 in the container 12 , either while or after it is submerged.
- the movement of the container 12 causes the berries 14 to temporarily float or be suspended in the water above the container while being distributed evenly throughout the container 12 .
- vibrating the container 12 can more evenly pack the berries 14 and/or reduce gaps or voids. If desired, vibrating the filled container 12 can ensure that the berries 14 are evenly distributed as a single layer or double layer. A single layer container would allow the consumer to easily view all the berries 14 prior to purchase.
- the filled container 12 is then raised out of the water (lifted vertically upward) using the pneumatic cylinders 40 or other lowering and raising means 76 .
- the berries 14 are captured in the desired orientation.
- the berries Upon being lifted out of the dip tank 74 , the water inside the container 12 will begin to drain out through vent holes, slots or other openings 48 in the container 12 .
- the berries can be “dried” using other means, such as by low pressure, high volume air emanating from a dryer 78 .
- the drying air which may be chilled, warm or ambient.
- the container 12 is closed to secure the berries 14 inside the container 12 .
- the container lid 34 is positioned (rotated) onto the container tray 32 to close the container 12 prior to shipping.
- the lid 36 forms a snap fit with the tray 32 .
- the tray may be closed by heat sealing the membrane onto the tray rim.
- the filled containers 12 may be packed into a larger shipping container.
- the apparatus described herein may be used to package strawberries, other fragile fruit or any suitable articles.
- the apparatus may be used in the field or in a separate location, such as a packaging shed.
- the container filling apparatus is used in a strawberry field and may accompany an automatic (robotic) strawberry harvester.
- the berries may be picked by the harvester, placed into water filled troughs, inspected, then fed into the container filling apparatus.
- the container filling apparatus may be located in a stationary shed, preferably near the strawberry field, and the harvested berries brought to the shed for packaging.
- the harvested berries may be placed into temporary plastic lugs or other containers, then transported to the shed where the berries are dumped into a water filled trough or other structure that holds the strawberries prior to their being fed to the container filling apparatus.
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Abstract
Description
- This disclosure relates to an apparatus and method for filling a container with fragile fruit. More particularly, this disclosure relates to an apparatus and method for filling a container with fragile fruit using a container submerged in water.
- Strawberries are currently picked and packed manually. Strawberries are fragile in terms of bruising and their shelf life is very short (10 days or so). Labor to harvest the strawberries is getting scarce, not to mention expensive. Large strawberry farms are looking to modern technology to solve this problem, including robotic automation for picking fruit. While there are current techniques to robotically pick strawberries, there does not yet exist technology to package the berries in a suitably gentle manner that also achieves desired speed, weight and cost requirements.
- The present disclosure is designed to solve the problems described above.
- The present disclosure generally relates to an apparatus and method for filling a container with fragile fruit involving submerging the container in water to better distribute the fragile fruit within the container. The container may be filled with fragile fruit either before or after being submerged in water. The fragile fruit may be transported using a stream of water or other suitable fluid medium.
- In one aspect a “wet fill” apparatus is provided that comprises a dip tank affixed to a frame and configured to hold a fluid, a moveable platform mounted above the dip tank for receiving a container, a transport chute positioned near the frame and configured to accommodate a stream of water to transport the fragile fruit to a hopper, the hopper operably connected to a load cell for measuring the weight of the fragile fruit in the hopper, means for transporting the fragile fruit from the hopper to the container, a raising and lowering apparatus affixed to the frame and configured to raise and lower the platform from a raised position in which the container is not submerged in the fluid to a lowered position in which the container is partially or fully submerged in the fluid, and a dryer located downstream of the dip tank and configured to dry the container and the fragile fruit.
- In another aspect a method of wet filling a container with fragile fruit is provided. The method comprises the steps of transporting the fragile fruit to a hopper; weighing the fragile fruit in the hopper; positioning a container above a dip tank containing a fluid; partially or fully submerging the container in a fluid; filling the submerged container with fragile fruit; raising the container out of the dip tank to capture the fragile fruit in a desired orientation; and drying the fragile fruit.
- In still another aspect a “dry fill” apparatus is provided that comprises a dip tank affixed to a frame and configured to hold a fluid, a berry conveyor located near the dip tank for transporting the fragile fruit to a hopper operably connected to a load cell for measuring the weight of the fragile fruit in the hopper, means for transporting the fragile fruit from the hopper to the container to create a filled container, a raising and lowering apparatus affixed to the frame and configured to raise and lower the filled container from a raised position in which the filled container is not submerged in the fluid to a lowered position in which the filled container is partially or fully submerged in the fluid, and a dryer located downstream of the dip tank and configured to remove fluid from the container and the fragile fruit.
- In another aspect a method of dry filling a container with fragile fruit is provided. The method comprises the steps of transporting the fragile fruit to a hopper; weighing the fragile fruit in the hopper; transferring the fragile fruit from the hopper to an empty container to create filled container; partially or fully submerging the filled container in fluid; lifting the container vertically upward to capture the fragile fruit in a desired orientation; and drying the fragile fruit.
-
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus for wet filling a container with articles such as fragile fruit. -
FIG. 2 is a side view of the apparatus ofFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 3 is a top view of the apparatus ofFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 4 is an end view of the apparatus ofFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an alternative apparatus for wet filling a container with articles such as fragile fruit. -
FIG. 6 is a schematic illustration of a method of wet filling a container with articles such as fragile fruit using the apparatus ofFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 7 is a side view of an apparatus for dry filling a container with articles such as fragile fruit. -
FIG. 8 is a top view of the apparatus ofFIG. 7 . -
FIG. 9 is a schematic illustration of a method of dry filling a container with articles such as fragile fruit using the apparatus ofFIG. 7 . -
FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a container. - While the invention described herein may be embodied in many forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail one or more embodiments with the understanding that this disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the disclosure to the illustrated embodiments. Aspects of the different embodiments can be combined with or substituted for one another.
- This disclosure relates to an apparatus and method of filling a container or package with articles such as fragile fruit, an example of which is strawberries. For the purpose of this description the articles will be termed “fruit”, “berries” or “strawberries”, although it should be understood that the methods may apply to other types of articles.
- The term “berries” as used herein should not be considered limiting and may include strawberries, fragile fruit or any articles.
- The term “water” as used herein should not be considered limiting and may include untreated water, treated water, or any suitable fluid, preferably a fluid in which the fragile fruit is buoyant. The water may be sanitized, treated and/or contain additives to mitigate any damage to the fruit.
- Turning to the drawings,
FIGS. 1-4 are various views of anapparatus 10 for filling acontainer 12 witharticles 14 such as fragile fruit. In the illustrated embodiment theapparatus 10 comprises aframe 30, aberry transport chute 16, aberry hopper 18, afeed chute 20, a raising and loweringapparatus 22, adip tank 24, adryer 26 and alid closing station 28. - The
frame 30 may be any suitable configuration and is designed to support or otherwise maintain the positioning of the various other components of theapparatus 10. Theframe 30 may be affixed to a floor or to another apparatus such as a harvesting machine. - The
berry transport chute 16 may be mounted to theframe 30. Thechute 16 may comprise a conveyor belt. Alternatively, or in addition to a conveyor belt, thechute 16 may be configured to accommodate a stream of water and thus may communicate with a water source. Thechute 16 may be mounted to theframe 30 at a downward angle. The lower end of theberry transport chute 16 may communicate with theberry hopper 18 which receives theberries 14. -
FIG. 2 is a side view of thewet fill apparatus 10. Viewed from this side, thecontainers 12 move from left to right in the direction of arrow (A) using acontainer guide 50. Theguide 50 may be any suitable mechanism such as a conveyor. Theberry hopper 18 may be mounted to theframe 30 upstream of thedip tank 24. - The
berry hopper 18 may be positioned so thatberries 14 coming off theberry chute 16 drop gently into thehopper 18 and are weighed by a load cell. Sensors may be used to track the number and size ofberries 14 in thehopper 18. For example, when thehopper 18 is about 90% full by target weight, a berry selection system (not shown) may be used to add onlysmall berries 14 to thehopper 18 until the desired weight is achieved. - The
feed chute 20 is configured to receiveberries 14 from thehopper 18 and transport them into thecontainer 12, preferably while thecontainer 12 is fully or partially submerged. Thefeed chute 20 is mounted to theframe 30 and may rotate about an axis (B) (shown inFIG. 4 ) so that thefeed chute 20 remains in communication with (always feeds into) thecontainer 12. This rotation will cause thefeed chute 20 to be oriented at a steeper angle than that shown in the figure. Thefeed chute 20 may accommodate water to help transport theberries 14. - In a possible refinement shown in
FIG. 5 , theapparatus 10 lacks aberry hopper 18 and theberries 14 are transferred directly from theberry transport chute 16 to thefeed chute 20. In this alternative, theberries 14 may be weighed while in thefeed chute 20 and before being dumped into a submergedcontainer 12. Thefeed chute 20 may be partially filled with water and the weight of the water zeroed out to provide an accurate weight of theberries 14. When the desired weight is reached, theapparatus 10 may automatically preventadditional berries 14 from entering thefeed chute 20. After a batch ofstrawberries 14 is dumped from thefeed chute 20 into thecontainer 12, thefeed chute 20 may be automatically re-filled with water before receiving the next batch ofstrawberries 14 from theberry transport chute 16. - The lowering and raising
apparatus 22 is mounted to theframe 30 and functions to lower and raise thecontainer 12 into and out of thedip tank 24. The raising andlower apparatus 22 includes a platform 36 on which thecontainer 12 rests, and alid retaining guide 38 for holding thecontainer lid 34 in the open position. The raising andlower apparatus 22 may also include one or morepneumatic cylinders 40 or other lowering and raising means. The lowering and raisingapparatus 22 may be operably connected to a switch (not shown) that closes the doors of thehopper 18, preventing berries from being fed into thefeed chute 20. The lowering and raisingapparatus 22 may be configured to slightly tilt thecontainer 12 back and forth as it is lifted out of the water to enhance water drainage. - The
dip tank 24 is mounted to theframe 30 and holds water or other fluid. the fluid causes theberries 14 to float, which helps distribute them evenly in thecontainer 12. The fluid also provides a cushion to protect theberries 14 as they enter thecontainer 12 and redistribute within thecontainer 12. - Optionally, a vibrating mechanism (not shown) may be operably mounted to the
dip tank 24 so that thedip tank 24 and/or the berry filledcontainer 12 can be vibrated or oscillated to enhance distribution of the berries within thecontainer 12 and help drain water from the berry filledcontainer 12. - Optionally, a constraining structure 84 (“constrainer”) can be located in or above the
dip tank 24 to initially constrain the floatingberries 14 before or while they are fed into the fully or partially submergedcontainer 12. Thisconstrainer 84 may be approximately the same size—in terms of width and length—as the footprint of thecontainer 12. - The
dryer 26 is mounted to theframe 30 downstream of thedip tank 24 to help dry theberries 14. Thedryer 26 may be configured to accommodate a low pressure, high volume air stream. The drying air may be chilled, warm or ambient. - Preferably the
lid closing station 50 is mounted to theframe 30 downstream of thedryer 26, and is configured to position thecontainer lid 34 onto thecontainer tray 32 to close thecontainer 12 prior to shipping. -
FIG. 6 is a schematic illustration of amethod 100 of “wet filling” acontainer 12 with articles such asfragile fruit 14 using theapparatus 10 ofFIGS. 1-4 . The method may generally be described as comprising one or more of the following steps: - Step 102: Providing a
container 12 definingsmall openings 48. - Step 104: Transporting berries to a
berry hopper 18. - Step 106: Weighing the
berries 14 using a load cell or other means. - Step 108: Dropping or otherwise transferring the
berries 14 into afeed chute 20. - Step 110: Positioning a
container 12 above adip tank 24. - Step 112: Submerging the
container 12 in fluid. - Step 114: Filling the submerged
container 12 withberries 14. - Step 116: Vibrating or otherwise shaking the
container 12. - Step 118: Lifting or raising the
container 12 vertically upward to capture theberries 14 in a desired orientation. - Step 120: Drying the
berries 14, and closing thecontainer 12. - More particularly, the
method 100 may comprise the following steps: - 1. Providing a
Container 12Defining Small Openings 48. - The
container 12 may be a conventional container known in the art, such as a transparent plastic clamshell container. As shown inFIG. 10 , anexemplary container 12 is provided comprising atray 32 and alid 34. Preferably thelid 34 is attached to thetray 32 via a hinge. Thetray 32 may comprise a bottom 42 and sides 44 extending upwardly from the bottom 42 and terminating at arim 46. Preferably thecontainer 12 defines air vent holes orother openings 48 through which water may enter into and drain out of thecontainer 12. It should be understood that thecontainer 12 ofFIG. 10 is just an example and that other containers can be used with the apparatus and method described herein. For example, in one alternative thecontainer 12 may comprise atray 32 and a separate lid or overcap that forms a snap fit with thetray 12. In yet another alternative, the container comprises a tray having a top rim that defines an opening that can be closed with a film or membrane. - 2. Transporting the
Berries 14 to theHopper 18. - The berries or other
fragile fruit 14 are harvested, either in the field or in a controlled indoor environment. Theberries 14 then are transported to the fillingapparatus 10 where they are placed in aberry transport chute 16. Theberries 14 are then transported, via water transport, conveyor belt, air or any suitable means, to theberry hopper 18. - For example, the
fruit 14 may be transported through thechute 16 and into thehopper 18 using flowing water or another liquid medium. The water can flow into thehopper 18 in a continuous stream while theberries 14 are introduced into the stream of water in thechute 16. Alternatively, the water can also flow through thechute 16 and into thehopper 18 in a “pulsing” or “flushing” manner, for example, by using water jets located along thechute 16. In yet another alternative, slowly rolling cylinders (not shown) may be used, with or without water, to transport theberries 14. The rolling cylinders may also help separate theberries 14. - The
berries 14 may be placed into thechute 16 in such a manner that several groups of berries enter thehopper 18 at different times or so that the entire desired amount of berries enters thehopper 18 all at once. Alternatively, theberries 14 can be transferred individually into thehopper 18. - 3. Optional Sorting.
- Optionally, the
berries 14 can be sorted according to size using various soring means known in the art, such as pairs of belts or rods defining a gradually widening gap. The sorting may be done before theberries 14 are placed in thechute 16 or at any suitable time. - 4. Weighing.
- After entering the
hopper 18 theberries 14 are weighed, preferably using a load cell or a weigh scale positioned under thehopper 18. The weighing process may be continuous until a target weight is reached. Once a target weight is achieved, the apparatus may stop anymore berries 14 from entering thehopper 18. - The bottom of the
hopper 18 may comprise doors (not readily shown in the figure) that open so that the target weight ofberries 14 is dropped onto the water filledfeed chute 20. Alternatively, theberries 14 may be transferred from theberry hopper 18 to thefeed chute 20 by or by tilting or overturning theberry hopper 18. - The
berries 14 may be transferred into thefeed chute 20 in either pre-weighed groups or individually. If thestrawberries 14 are introduced into thehopper 18 individually, eachberry 14 can then be weighed and/or measured individually, then dropped into the water filledfeed chute 20 and, ultimately, into the submergedcontainer 12. During this “individual” feeding process, a cumulative weight of thestrawberries 14 can be calculated to achieve a predetermined total weight of thestrawberries 14 in eachcontainer 12. When that total weight is achieved, the feeding process to thefeed chute 20 is stopped or terminated. In this way, damage to theberries 14 due to excess weight in thecontainer 12 can be eliminated. - In one possible refinement intended to handle the
berries 14 even more gently, instead of transferring theberries 14 into adry hopper 18, thehopper 18 is first partially filled with water. In this refinement, theapparatus 10 further comprises a refillable water reservoir (not shown), preferably located above thehopper 18 and configured so that the water in the reservoir can be poured or otherwise transferred to thehopper 18. As noted above, thehopper 18 is operably connected to a load cell that can measure the weight of the hopper and its contents. After the water from the reservoir is poured or otherwise transferred to thehopper 18, thehopper 18 is weighed to determine the weight of the water-filledhopper 18. Theberries 14 then are added to thehopper 18 as thehopper 18, together with its contents, is weighed in real time to obtain a real time weight. When thehopper 18 contains a predetermined weight of berries 14 (calculated by subtracting the weight of the water-filledhopper 18 from the real time weight), the transfer ofberries 14 into thehopper 18 is stopped. Next, thehopper 18 opens so theberries 14 are carried down thechute 20 and into acontainer 12. - 5. Positioning a
Container 12 Above theDip Tank 24. -
Multiple containers 12 may be stacked or otherwise stored so that they can be individually fed to theapparatus 10. This storing and feeding ofcontainers 12 may involve conventional technology such as a de-nester. - After a
container 12 is fed to theapparatus 10, thecontainer 12 is positioned above the water in thedip tank 24 using any suitable means. For example, asingle container 12 can be guided into position above thedip tank 24 manually or by a suitable guiding apparatus (not shown). InFIGS. 1 and 2 , arrow (A) indicates a preferred directed that eachcontainer 12 takes as it travels through theapparatus 10. - As perhaps best shown in
FIG. 4 , upon entering the area above thedip tank 24, thecontainer 12 rests on a platform 36 and is held in a first, raised, position above thedip tank 24 by a lowering and raisingapparatus 22. While in this raised position and during the lowering and raising of thecontainer 12 into and out of the water, thecontainer tray 32 may rest on the platform 36 and thecontainer lid 34 may be held in a vertical (open) position by alid retaining guide 38. - Optionally, while the
container 12 is positioned above thedip tank 24, the lowering and raisingapparatus 22, thelid retaining guide 38 or even thecontainer 12 itself may activate a switch (not shown) that holds the doors of theberry hopper 18 closed, thereby preventingberries 14 from being fed into thefeed chute 20 and then into theempty container 12. - 6. Submerging the
Container 12. - The
empty container 12 is then lowered into the water in thedip tank 24. Theempty container 12 may be lowered into the water using a set ofpneumatic cylinders 40 or other lowering and raising means 38. Upon being lowered, thecontainer 12 and, more specifically, thecontainer tray 32, may be partially or fully submerged in the water. For example, thecontainer 12 can be lowered into the water so that thecontainer tray 32 is submerged halfway, that is, the tray sidewalls 44 are submerged halfway, thereby covering some or all of theberries 14 as they are fed into the submergedcontainer 12 in the filling step. Alternatively, the tray sidewalls 44, and thus theentire tray 32, may be fully submerged under the water prior to filling. - As the
container 12 is lowered into thedip tank 24, thefeed chute 20 may rotate about an axis (B) so that thefeed chute 20 remains in communication with (always feeds into) thecontainer 12. This rotation will cause thefeed chute 20 to be oriented at a steeper angle than that shown in the figure when berries are being fed into thecontainer 12 during the filling step. If desired, someberries 14 can be fed into thecontainer 12 prior to it being submerged. - 7. “Wet” Filling the Container.
- Next, the submerged
container 12 is filled withberries 14. While thecontainer 12 is submerged, theberries 14 are dropped or dumped from theberry hopper 18 into the feed chute 20 (which may contain water). During the filling step, and while thecontainer 12 is partially or fully submerged, theberries 14 may evenly redistribute within thecontainer 12. This even distribution is accomplished as theberries 14 float within the water, then re-settle into thecontainer 12 when thecontainer 12 is raised above the water. The water also provides a cushion to protect the berries as they redistribute within thecontainer 12. - 8. Vibrating.
- The
container 12 and/or thedip tank 20 can be vibrated, shook, oscillated or otherwise moved to settle or otherwise enhance distribution of theberries 14 in thecontainer 12, either while or after it is submerged. The movement of thecontainer 12 causes theberries 14 to temporarily float or be suspended in the water above thecontainer 12 while being distributed evenly throughout thecontainer 12. - For example, vibrating the
container 12 can more evenly pack theberries 14 and/or reduce gaps or voids. If desired, vibrating the filledcontainer 12 can ensure that theberries 14 are evenly distributed as a single layer or double layer. A single layer container would allow the consumer to easily view all theberries 14 prior to purchase. - The filled
container 12 can be re-submerged one or more times to further enhance distribution of theberries 14. The filledcontainer 12 can be moved gently and slightly up and down in the water to enhance distribution of theberries 14. - 9. Capturing.
- Next, the filled
container 12 is then raised out of the water (lifted vertically upward) using thepneumatic cylinders 40 or other lowering and raising means 38. Upon being lifted out of the water, theberries 14 are captured in the desired orientation. Again, if desired, this step can be done using acontainer 12 in which theberries 14 are generally distributed in a single layer. - 10. Drying.
- Upon being lifted out of the
dip tank 24, the water inside thecontainer 12 will begin to drain out through vent holes, slots orother openings 48 in thecontainer 12. In addition to this natural drainage, the berries can be “dried” using other means, such as by low pressure, high volume air emanating from adryer 26. The drying air may be chilled, warm or ambient. - 11. Closing the
Container 12. - Finally, the
container 12 is closed to secure theberries 14 inside thecontainer 12. At thelid closing station 28, thecontainer lid 34 is positioned (rotated) onto thecontainer tray 32 to close thecontainer 12 prior to shipping. Preferably the lid 36 forms a snap fit with thetray 32. - Additional optional steps include the following:
- 12. Constraining.
- Optionally, during the filling step, the
berries 14 can be transferred from thefeed chute 20 to a constrained area above the partially or completely submergedcontainer 12. Theberries 14 can be introduced into the constrained area above the submergedcontainer 12 via water transport, conveyor or air, or dropped vertically into the constrained area filled with water. Theberries 14 will generally float horizontally (on their side) in the water above thecontainer 12. Thus the berries' natural buoyancy allows them to separate and fill the constrained area. This constrained area may be approximately the same size as the footprint of thecontainer 12. - For example, a
constrainer 84 may initially be positioned above theempty container 12 as shown inFIG. 5 and operably connected to the raising and loweringapparatus 22. Theconstrainer 84 descends until it is on top of theempty container 12, then both are lowered into the water in thedip tank 24. Next, theberries 14 are transferred into theconstrainer 84 through a hole or other opening in the top of theconstrainer 84. The berries may float within theconstrainer 84. Finally, theberries 14 are gently dropped or lowered into thecontainer 12, either through an opening in the bottom of theconstrainer 84 or by tilting or overturning theconstrainer 84 so that theberries 14 float gently down into thecontainer 12. -
FIGS. 7 and 8 are diagrammatic views of anapparatus 60 for filling a container with articles such as fragile fruit before the container is submerged. Theapparatus 60 may comprise aframe 90, an inspection and sortingstation 62, asize diverter 64, acontainer de-nester 66, aberry conveyor 68, aberry hopper 70, acontainer conveyor 72, a dip tank 74, a raising and loweringapparatus 76, adryer 78, alid closing station 80, and apackaging station 82. - The
frame 90 may be any suitable configuration and is designed to support or otherwise maintain the positioning of the various other components of theapparatus 60. Theframe 90 may be affixed to a floor or to another apparatus such as a harvesting machine. - The inspection and sorting
station 62 may be affixed to theframe 90 and is configured to enable the inspection and sorting of theberries 14. - The
size diverter 64 may be affixed to theframe 90 and is configured to sortberries 14 according to size. The size diverter may be conventional in design and may comprise pairs of belts or rods defining a gradually widening gap. - The container de-nester 66 may hold
multiple containers 12 in a stacked arrangement and is configured to selectsingle containers 12 and place them on thecontainer conveyor 72. The container de-nester 66 may be located above thecontainer conveyor belt 72 or in any suitable orientation with respect to theconveyor belt 72. After eachcontainer 12 is placed onto thebelt 72, the openedcontainer 12 advances to a position preferably beneath theberry fill station 70. As in thewet fill apparatus 10, theconveyor 72, and all mechanisms described herein, may be controlled by a programmable logic controller (PLC). - The
berry conveyor 68 should be located near the dip tank 74 and is used to transport thefragile fruit 14 to thehopper 70. Preferably theberry conveyor 68 is a cleatedberry conveyor belt 68 - The
berry hopper 70 may be mounted to theframe 90 upstream of the dip tank 74. Thehopper 70 may be positioned so thatberries 14 coming off theberry conveyor 68 drop gently into thehopper 70, are weighed by a load cell and then dropped into anopen container 12. Sensors may be used to track the number and size ofberries 14 in eachcontainer 12. For example, when acontainer 12 is about 90% full by weight, a berry selection system (not shown) may be used to add only small berries to thecontainer 12 until the desired weight is achieved. - The dip tank 74 is mounted to the
frame 90 and holds water or other fluid. the water causes theberries 14 to float which helps distribute them evenly in thecontainer 12. The water also provides a cushion to protect theberries 14 as they enter thecontainer 12 and redistribute within thecontainer 12. - The lowering and raising
apparatus 76 is mounted to theframe 90 and functions to lower and raise thecontainer 12 into and out of the dip tank 74. The raising andlower apparatus 76 may include aplatform 84 on which thecontainer 12 rests, and a lid retaining guide (not shown) for holding thecontainer lid 34 in the open position. The raising andlower apparatus 76 may also include one or morepneumatic cylinders 40 or other lowering and raising means. - Optionally, a vibrating mechanism (not shown) may be operably mounted to the dip tank 74 so that the dip tank 74 can be vibrated or oscillated to enhance distribution of the
berries 14 within thecontainer 12. - The
dryer 78 is mounted to theframe 90 downstream of the dip tank 74 to help dry theberries 14. Thedryer 78 may be configured to accommodate a low pressure, high volume air stream. The drying air may be chilled, warm or ambient. - The
lid closing station 80 preferably is mounted to theframe 90 downstream of thedryer 78, and is configured to position thecontainer lid 34 onto thecontainer tray 32 to close thecontainer 12 prior to shipping. - At the packing
station 82 located downstream of thelid closing station 80, the filledcontainers 12 may be packed into a larger shipping container. -
FIG. 9 is a schematic illustration of amethod 200 of filling acontainer 12 with articles such asfragile fruit 12 using theapparatus 60 ofFIGS. 7 and 8 . Themethod 200 may generally be described as comprising one or more of the following steps: - Step 202: Providing a
container 12 definingsmall openings 48. - Step 204: Inspecting and sorting the
berries 14. - Step 206: De-nesting a
container 12. - Step 208: Dry filling the
container 12 withberries 14. - Step 210: Submerging the filled
container 12 in water. - Step 212: Vibrating or shaking the
container 12. - Step 214: Raising the
container 12 from the water. - Step 216: Drying the
berries 14. - Step 218: Closing the
container lid 34. - More particularly, the
method 200 may comprise the following steps: - 1. Providing a
Container 12Defining Small Openings 48. - As shown in
FIG. 10 , acontainer 12 is provided comprising atray 32 and alid 34. Preferably thelid 34 is attached to thetray 32 via a hinge. Thetray 32 may comprise a bottom 42 and sides 44 extending upwardly from the bottom 42 and terminating at arim 46. Preferably thecontainer 12 definesopenings 48 through which water may enter into and drain out of thecontainer 12. Although a clamshell container is preferred, any suitable container may be provided, including a container comprising a tray closed with a film membrane. - 2. Inspecting and Sorting.
- After being harvested, the
berries 14 can be inspected and sorted at an inspection and sortingstation 62. During this step theberries 14 can be sorted (segregated) according to size using asize diverter 24 or other apparatus. Once sorted, theberries 14 are transported to thefill station 70 by, for example, a cleatedberry conveyor belt 68. - 3. Container De-Nesting.
-
Multiple containers 12 may be stored in a chute located above or in any suitable orientation with respect to acontainer conveyor belt 72. If thecontainers 12 are stacked, thecontainers 12 can be individually pulled from the stack by a de-nester 66 and placed on theconveyor 72. After eachcontainer 12 is placed onto theconveyor 72, the openedcontainer 12 advances to a position preferably beneath thefill station 70. - 4. Dry Filling.
- The
fragile fruit 14 is transported to thehopper 70 by theconveyor 68 or other means. - 5. Weighing. The
fragile fruit 14 in thehopper 70 is weighed by a load cell or other means. When a target weight is achieved, thefragile fruit 14 is dropped or otherwise transferred to anempty container 12, preferably one that is located under thehopper 70. Alternatively, thefragile fruit 14 may be transported into thecontainer 12 and then the filledcontainer 12 is weighed. - 5. Submerging.
- The filled container then proceeds in the direction of arrow (A) in
FIG. 7 to a dip tank station. At the dip tank station 74 the filledcontainer 12 is partially or completely submerged in water or other liquid medium. While the filledcontainer 12 is partially or fully submerged, theberries 14 can be redistributed and/or reoriented. This is accomplished as theberries 14 float within or on the water. The water also provides a cushion to protect the berries as they redistribute within thecontainer 12. - More particularly, the
container 12 filled withberries 14 is temporarily suspended above the water in the dip tank 74 as shown inFIG. 6 , then lowered or pushed into the water using a set of pneumatic cylinders or other lowering and raising means 76. Thecontainer 12 may be partially submerged or fully submerged in the water. For example, thecontainer 12 can be lowered into the water so that thecontainer 12 is submerged halfway as determined by the sidewalls of thecontainer 12. - 6. Vibrating.
- The
container 12 and/or the dip tank 74 can be vibrated, shook, oscillated or otherwise moved to settle or otherwise enhance distribution of theberries 14 in thecontainer 12, either while or after it is submerged. The movement of thecontainer 12 causes theberries 14 to temporarily float or be suspended in the water above the container while being distributed evenly throughout thecontainer 12. - For example, vibrating the
container 12 can more evenly pack theberries 14 and/or reduce gaps or voids. If desired, vibrating the filledcontainer 12 can ensure that theberries 14 are evenly distributed as a single layer or double layer. A single layer container would allow the consumer to easily view all theberries 14 prior to purchase. - 7. Capturing.
- Next, the filled
container 12 is then raised out of the water (lifted vertically upward) using thepneumatic cylinders 40 or other lowering and raising means 76. Upon being lifted out of the water, theberries 14 are captured in the desired orientation. - 8. Drying.
- Upon being lifted out of the dip tank 74, the water inside the
container 12 will begin to drain out through vent holes, slots orother openings 48 in thecontainer 12. In addition to this natural drainage, the berries can be “dried” using other means, such as by low pressure, high volume air emanating from adryer 78. The drying air which may be chilled, warm or ambient. - 9. Closing the Container.
- Finally, the
container 12 is closed to secure theberries 14 inside thecontainer 12. At thelid closing station 80, thecontainer lid 34 is positioned (rotated) onto thecontainer tray 32 to close thecontainer 12 prior to shipping. Preferably the lid 36 forms a snap fit with thetray 32. Alternatively, if a container comprising a tray and a top membrane is used, the tray may be closed by heat sealing the membrane onto the tray rim. - 10. Packing.
- At the
packaging station 82 the filledcontainers 12 may be packed into a larger shipping container. - The apparatus described herein may be used to package strawberries, other fragile fruit or any suitable articles. The apparatus may be used in the field or in a separate location, such as a packaging shed.
- For example, in one application the container filling apparatus is used in a strawberry field and may accompany an automatic (robotic) strawberry harvester. The berries may be picked by the harvester, placed into water filled troughs, inspected, then fed into the container filling apparatus.
- In another application the container filling apparatus may be located in a stationary shed, preferably near the strawberry field, and the harvested berries brought to the shed for packaging. The harvested berries may be placed into temporary plastic lugs or other containers, then transported to the shed where the berries are dumped into a water filled trough or other structure that holds the strawberries prior to their being fed to the container filling apparatus.
- It is understood that the embodiments of the invention described above are only particular examples which serve to illustrate the principles of the invention. Modifications and alternative embodiments of the invention are contemplated which do not depart from the scope of the invention as defined by the foregoing teachings and appended claims. It is intended that the claims cover all such modifications and alternative embodiments that fall within their scope.
Claims (6)
Priority Applications (5)
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US17/547,642 US11851220B2 (en) | 2019-04-01 | 2021-12-10 | System and method for filling a container with fragile fruit |
US17/691,481 US11760516B2 (en) | 2019-04-01 | 2022-03-10 | Automated packing of crops |
US18/244,796 US20230415937A1 (en) | 2019-04-01 | 2023-09-11 | Automated transport of crops |
US18/244,805 US20230415938A1 (en) | 2019-04-01 | 2023-09-11 | Automated inspection of crops |
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US16/803,607 US11198529B2 (en) | 2019-04-01 | 2020-02-27 | Apparatus and method for filling a container with fragile fruit |
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US17/547,642 Active 2040-04-27 US11851220B2 (en) | 2019-04-01 | 2021-12-10 | System and method for filling a container with fragile fruit |
US17/691,481 Active 2040-03-18 US11760516B2 (en) | 2019-04-01 | 2022-03-10 | Automated packing of crops |
US18/244,805 Pending US20230415938A1 (en) | 2019-04-01 | 2023-09-11 | Automated inspection of crops |
US18/244,796 Pending US20230415937A1 (en) | 2019-04-01 | 2023-09-11 | Automated transport of crops |
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US17/691,481 Active 2040-03-18 US11760516B2 (en) | 2019-04-01 | 2022-03-10 | Automated packing of crops |
US18/244,805 Pending US20230415938A1 (en) | 2019-04-01 | 2023-09-11 | Automated inspection of crops |
US18/244,796 Pending US20230415937A1 (en) | 2019-04-01 | 2023-09-11 | Automated transport of crops |
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Cited By (1)
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WO2022192564A3 (en) * | 2019-04-01 | 2022-11-03 | Harvest Croo, Llc | Automated transport, inspection, and packing of crops |
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NL2014878B1 (en) | 2015-05-28 | 2017-01-31 | De Greef's Wagen- Carrosserie- En Machb B V | Filling device for filling a container with fragile products and method thereof. |
US9688113B2 (en) | 2015-07-14 | 2017-06-27 | Cnh Industrial America Llc | System for adjusting frame height of an agricultural vehicle |
US10238031B2 (en) | 2016-08-03 | 2019-03-26 | D'arrigo Bros Co. Of California | Harvester for leafy plants |
KR101767134B1 (en) | 2017-06-09 | 2017-08-23 | 주식회사 불스 | Stem crushing device for underground crop |
US11198529B2 (en) * | 2019-04-01 | 2021-12-14 | Harvest Croo, Llc | Apparatus and method for filling a container with fragile fruit |
-
2020
- 2020-02-27 US US16/803,607 patent/US11198529B2/en active Active
-
2021
- 2021-12-10 US US17/547,642 patent/US11851220B2/en active Active
-
2022
- 2022-03-10 WO PCT/US2022/019788 patent/WO2022192564A2/en active Application Filing
- 2022-03-10 US US17/691,481 patent/US11760516B2/en active Active
-
2023
- 2023-09-11 US US18/244,805 patent/US20230415938A1/en active Pending
- 2023-09-11 US US18/244,796 patent/US20230415937A1/en active Pending
Cited By (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
WO2022192564A3 (en) * | 2019-04-01 | 2022-11-03 | Harvest Croo, Llc | Automated transport, inspection, and packing of crops |
US11760516B2 (en) | 2019-04-01 | 2023-09-19 | Harvest Croo, Llc | Automated packing of crops |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
US11760516B2 (en) | 2023-09-19 |
US20230415937A1 (en) | 2023-12-28 |
WO2022192564A3 (en) | 2022-11-03 |
US11851220B2 (en) | 2023-12-26 |
US11198529B2 (en) | 2021-12-14 |
US20230415938A1 (en) | 2023-12-28 |
WO2022192564A2 (en) | 2022-09-15 |
US20220097881A1 (en) | 2022-03-31 |
US20220194641A1 (en) | 2022-06-23 |
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